


Defiance is Strength

by DeepDisiresLonging



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Brainwashing, Dark fic, F/M, Non-Sexual Bondage, Torture, Whump, boiling, falling, fluff that turns to betrayal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:09:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26777158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DeepDisiresLonging/pseuds/DeepDisiresLonging
Summary: Loki and the Reader are both prisoners of Thanos. The Asgardian has already broken and is being forced to continue trying to break you. It’s only a matter of time before it ends.
Relationships: Loki/Reader
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	Defiance is Strength

Cold metal bit into your wrists. The steel bar connecting the cuffs holding your wrists above your head kept your spine straight, and ended in another harsh circle around your waist. 

It was to keep you from moving. To keep your bones from breaking. 

That wasn’t what he was trying to break. 

The chain dangling you from the ceiling swayed gently. Your feet had numbed long ago. Beneath you was a deep pit. Unlike the tropes you’d grown up with, feared, it was well lit. And still so deep you couldn’t see the bottom. But you could hear water. 

Thanos nodded. 

The chain released, letting you drop. You screamed, feeling air rush past your face and pulling at the cuts on your cheeks. A strangled gasp parted your mouth further as you came to a sudden stop. Your joints ached with past drops and the falls to come. 

Were you in the middle? Closer to the bottom than before?

Slowly you cranked back towards the entry to the hole. As you crested over the top, you once again let your eyes plead with the man at the lever. He was pale. Had dark greasy hair. And was clothed in threadbare green layers that looked like they were once fine and expensive. 

Loki. 

“Are you ready, Y/N?” Thanos’s voice contained minimum effort. You would break. Eventually. 

Your voice wobbled. “No.”

Again, you fell. 

Each drop lasted longer. Each time you resurfaced, Loki looked more desperate to be anywhere but here. It was Thanos’ last cruel joke. His warriors had to pass along the torture they’d endured before going out to do his bidding for the last time. If you would just break faster, maybe he could get away. But you were you. Obstinate. Terrified, but headstrong. 

That’s what Thanos wanted to fracture. To crumble in his palm. 

You finally approached the bottom. You could see water rippling, reflecting the tunnel lights. You knew what was coming. The more you defied him, the deeper he’d drop you. 

The next drop sent your feet into the pool. It was shockingly hot. Not enough to burn. But unexpected. 

The brace capturing your body was heavy. There was no way you were going to be able to fight to the surface once he dropped you deep enough. 

You let yourself cry as you came up again. This was it. The final drop. Had to be, right? Or would he make Loki toy with you for a few more days? Weeks? 

“I think that’s enough for today.”

***

The cell Thanos let you call “home” wasn’t large. It was big enough for anyone to pace if they had the ability and will to move their legs. Small enough to tug at anyone’s claustrophobia. For you, the walls were cool and sturdy to lean against. That was all. It was just somewhere to sleep. 

The door cracked open. You didn’t bother to open your eyes. Not until a familiar voice called your name. 

Why-

“No! Don’t- Don’t touch me!” You screamed, flinching away from Loki’s desperate touch and scrambling into a corner. Your eyes were wide. Wild. Your shallow breath came out in fast bursts, and your body trembled in uncontrollable fear. This room was your sanctuary. Nothing was supposed to happen in here-

“I’m not going to hurt you,” Loki said gently, taking you by the hand and holding firmly. Your eyes met. “Listen to me. You’re safe. He’s not going to hurt you anymore. I’m here now. Trust me, I won’t let anybody hurt you.”

He looked like he expected you to yank your hand away in panic, but you didn’t. Instead, you relaxed a little. Tears formed in your eyes. A calmer breath escaped. “I…”

“It’s okay,” he said. He hesitantly pulled you into a hug you didn’t resist. “It’s okay. I’m here.”

You sobbed into his chest. “Why? What is this? Another trick?”

“No. I-” He stroked a few fingers over your hair, then his palm as your breathing evened. “I can’t- Not another day. Not without- You’re stronger than me, you know.” He winced a laugh. “I’m a prince. I should have lasted… years. But I couldn’t. You’ve already made it this far. I wanted to let you know, there is more than one way out of this. More than Thanos’s way.”

Heavy footsteps beat the floor outside your door as the patrol went by. 

Loki held you away by your shoulders. “There isn’t much time. I couldn’t do this another day without telling you. When I first got here, someone made it out. They had endured so much, Thanos realized they would never break. He was impressed. Let them go. I thought I could do the same.” He heaved a breath. “I was wrong. But you- You’re surviving. Pushing back. Keep going. Impress him. Please.”

He glanced back at the door. 

“I have to- I can’t-”

“Thank you.” Your cheeks hurt. It had been so long since you smiled. “I’ll try.”

Loki curled his finger under your jaw. Such a simple touch. But this meeting was the first kindness anyone had shown you. It would survive you for a long time. It had to. 

***

After minutes or hours of sleep, you were taken back to the brace above the abyss. Another ‘day’ began. 

You continued to say no. But knowing what you did now… you added what snark and sass you could. Thanos was perplexed. But he continued with using Loki to hurt you. 

The drops continued. It never went above your thighs. But you sat in it longer. And it was hotter each time you were immersed. Sometimes rolling with bubbles as the water boiled and your skin felt its intense heat. Originally, the first time you’d hit the water, you expected it to be cold. Cold enough to numb you. To deny you sensations like with the rest of your torture. 

But this was heat. This was an excess of feeling. It followed you into your sanctuary. 

Loki followed you too. He brought what he could. Salves. Kind words. Stories of his home. A listening ear when you talked of yours. 

Each day you felt yourself growing stronger. You knew Thanos would double his efforts. 

You welcomed it. 

Loki’s story had given you hope, if only the tiniest of slivers. Some days it wasn’t enough. You burned. Other days, you could pretend you didn’t feel a thing. 

The end was coming. Either you would crack, you would die… or Loki’s story would have a sequel. 

***

“Why can’t you see what I’m trying to do?” Thanos finally stood and walked over to the lever. Pushing a button, he closed the cover over the abyss. Another push and your knees hit the grate. “I hate seeing you in pain, little one. My child-”

“Then stop inflicting it. And I’m not your child.” 

He nodded, as if finally understanding why you were ‘misbehaving.’ “You still believe that little story Loki told you, don’t you?”

Your blood froze in your veins. Thanos noticed. 

With a sigh, he walked over and placed a heavy hand on your head. “I’m so sorry, little one. There has never been anyone to leave this place not under my command, or in pieces.” He kneeled, tilting your face to look at him. “I wondered if placing that hope in front of you would be too much. I laid the outline,” he glanced to the controls, “and Loki filled in the details.”

Tears burned under your cheeks. “I- I don’t care. I still won’t-”

“Join my family? Why not? Anything has to be better than the pain Loki’s inflicted on you. Please, Y/N. Let go of this personal battle against me. Join me. Join those like you. Like Loki.”

He gestured, holding out one arm. Loki walked to stand by his side. The same face that had been your salvation, your inspiration for survival… it was sharp as a knife. You would have preferred a physical blade in your back than the ache of betrayal in your chest. 

Story or not, you couldn’t give in. 

You shook your head, feeling like a child fighting against a nap. “You’ll never conquer it all. And what you’re doing isn’t saving anyone. It’s condemning the universe, planet by planet, to horror and loss. You are a monster.”

“And what does that make you? A hero?” Loki smirked and stepped forward. “You are weak. Unbroken, which I admit is a surprise, but your failure is inevitable.”

“Perhaps. But when I die it will be because the flesh gave out, not my soul. This is my body. My beating heart. It will keep beating until there is no more blood to give. My mind may go, my oxygen deplete, but this heart will beat on. I don’t care if either of you rip it from my chest. You will give up before I do.”

Thanos’s smirk slimmed to a thin line. He turned to Loki. “You’ve done well. It’s time. Go to Midgard, also known as Earth. Prepare it for me.”

“Earth?” You looked between them. Then you laughed. It made Loki jump. “Earth. My Earth?”

“Yes.” Thanos glanced nonchalantly over his shoulder at you. “Taking you apart piece by piece taught us everything we needed to know about it. About the anatomy of the largest population of lifeforms living there. And what you told Loki. Fight all you will, Y/N, but your planet will fall.”

“Good luck with that buddy,” you snickered. “Everyone on that planet is just like me. Annoyingly headstrong to the last. The sky could be falling down and we would stand under it and dance as if it were a soft spring rain. Loki, I hope you paid attention. When you get there, do your worst. Because Earth will reflect it and more right back at’cha.” You settled into your restraints. “Best of luck. Earth will be your downfall, Thanos. I don’t care if I don’t get to see it. Knowing you’re going after my home is enough. You’re gonna fail.”

For the first time, you saw Thanos’s eyes flicker with something other than boredom or triumph. He turned away from you with a nod, walking out the door with Loki on his left. 

They didn’t know it yet, but the apocalypse they planned would blow up in their face. 


End file.
